FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Richard Lester
Why FiC recommends?
1) A wonderfully bonkers Post-Nuke Comedy set in Britain, where the BBC has been reduced to one man and the Circle Line is still in operation. This must be one of the most original, bizarre, and imaginative dystopian films ever made.
2) It mixes great comedy with a very serious and important issue, the ending is one of my favourite in movie history. A Timeless classic and absurdist delight not to be missed.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: SABU
Why FiC recommends?
1) The film is mix of Yakuza thriller and black comedy, which is also the most rounded film by SABU (Blessing Bell, Hard Luck Hero, Postman Blues, Mr. Long), genius of Japanese mutant cinema.
2) At a funeral, the man in the coffin turns out to have an active pacemaker, which leads to very unpredictable and surreal results. A journey between busted journeys so crazy and surreal as to border on the dreamlike in which reality and fantasy meets. The scenes are of breath-taking visual beauty, well thought out and backed up with the appropriate music.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Anup Kurian
Why FiC recommends?
1) A rare stroke of luck from a film is this brilliantly cast and staged by director Anup Kurian. There was plenty of wry humor, pathos, and atmosphere to keep any thoughtful viewer interested.
2) This is genuinely a masterpiece rich with feelings, emotions, social commentary and visual artistry. An absolute must-watch, if you don’t love it, then check for a pulse.
FiC Rating: 4.5/5
Dir: Iryna Tsilyk
1) This is one of the best ode to cinema, a love letter to the medium which is superbly performed by everybody, although the cast is mostly non-actors.
2) Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, driving them to shoot, edit and screen a film inspired by their own life set against the backdrop of war in Donbass town (Ukraine) between 2014-2015.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Ashish Avikunthak
Why FiC recommends?
1) Ashish Avikunthak “Vakratunda Swaha” is without question one of the best short films i’ve seen. If you’re not a fan or audience of Avikunthak’s work then I’d probably recommend that you start with this short.
2) A must watch for the fans of Arthouse or Experimental films.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Joon Hwan Jang
Why FiC recommends?
1) A very original genre hoping Experimental Sci-fi, Black comedy which slowly dissolves into chilling Horror. Bizarre and captivating, completely defies any genre. Highly underrated when compared films of Bong joon ho,Park Chan-wook and Im Sang-soo.
2) This is a film that invites numerous interpretations, as all great art does – however, this film is also very entertaining, making it a rare film experience.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Sebastian Ko
Why FiC recommends?
1) This near perfect script has been dealt with utmost care to seal off all loopholes the human mind could ever conjure up which cleverly balanced between plot and psychology, contrary to the nonchalant treatments that grace thrillers these days.
2) I strongly recommend this film, especially to the thriller genre lovers.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Buddy Giovinazzo
Setting: Suburban/Small-town
Why FiC recommends?
1) Buddy Giovinazzo’s Combat Shock, an unsettling cross between Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant (1992) and David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977) as far from the tone of your typical Troma movie in the offering.
2) It’s a must watch for fans of the genre, a lo-fi borderline horror film with a mutant baby that tops even the baby in Eraserhead for sheer creepiness.
FiC Rating: 4.5/5
Dir: Pere Portabella
Why FiC recommends?
1) Cuadecuc, Vampir feels a lot like an ancestor of E. Elias Merhige’s Begotten (1990), blurring the worlds of horror and the Avant-garde.
2) ‘Cuadecuc, vampir’ is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Not only does it show how ‘The Count Dracula’ by Jesús Franco was made, but it hypnotizes, like you have landed yourself on the set and forces you to take advantage of it. It is also one of the favourite films of Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Pipilotti Rist
Setting: Universe
Why FiC recommends?
1) A Surreal Adult Fairy Tale! Blends Pippi Longstocking with Daisies!
2) Pepperminta is like a cross between characters from films such as Poppy from Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Liegh), Maries from Daisies (Vera Chytilová), Eunince from Butterfly Kiss (Michael Winterbottom), Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet) and Honey Whitlock from Cecil B Demented (John Waters). It is beautiful, dark, bizarre, and dreamy film! My favorite place to be!
FiC Rating: 4.5/5
Dir: Kirill Serebrennikov
Setting: Suburban/Small-town
Why FiC recommends?
1) This is a truly unique movie, tragic, ironic, and hilarious, a noir remake of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The story delves into the tragicomic life of Valya, a loner with a rather special job, he plays the role of the victim in the reconstructions of the murders made by the police.
2) Beyond the moments of absurdness, “Playing the Victim” is a hard- hitting social commentary part psychological drama with minimalistic cinematography and one of the best films from Russia.
FiC Rating: 5/5
Dir: Philippe de Broca
Why FiC recommends?
1) As an anti-war theme film, “King of Hearts” does not use cold, blood and violence to show the blood red line. This film conveys that message while being utterly charming, it hides the cruel incidents that have happened and using mental institutions as a metaphor for the world outside.
2) King of Hears is a cult film full of absurdness, love and warmth, but also full of cruelty, but its process is beautiful which is an absolute joy to watch.
FiC Rating: 5/5
Dir: Emir Kusturica
Why FiC recommends?
Underground is a surreal tragicomic opera on a grand scale from Emir Kusturica. One of the greatest film ever made, winner of the prestigious Palme dOr in 1995, this has been one of my all-time best cinematic experience. The soundtrack is by legendary Serbian composer Goran Bregovic, the best scenes are the ones that featured the brass band marching raucously over the ruined landscape. A Masterpiece!
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Tsurisaki Kiyotaka
Setting: Suburban/Small-town
Why FiC recommends?
1) Orozco the Embalmer’ is one of the most unrelentingly grim works in existence, the haunting evocation of the rigor mortis and its cadaverous expression ever made on film. This is an essential watch for the fans of Mondo films and Shockumentaries.
2) Tsurisaki Kiyotaka, one of Japan’s most infamous Pinku Eiga director/ death photographers, ventured into the Rue Morgue neighborhood of Bogota, which is one of the most dangerous areas of the Colombia’s capital.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Danny Lee, Billy Tang
Setting: Suburban/Small-town
Why FiC recommends?
The movie is quite different also one of most notorious films from the golden age of Hong Kong horror than trying to be a “Taxi Driver”-wannabe/rip-off.
2) For those interested to check out Category III rating, which is equivalent to the old X’s or current NC-17’s in the U.S, then Dr. Lamb is a good start followed by 2 of my favourites Untold Story (1993) and Ebola Syndrome (1996).
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Jim Van Bebber
Why FiC recommends?
1) Killjoy vocalist of the band, hardcore gorehound when it comes to extreme metal and his love for the genre got him associated with Fred Vogel (August Underground) of Toetag pictures and Cult filmmaker Jim Van Bebber to create Through Eyes of the Dead.
2). Any Necrophagia will appreciate this documentary, each song has its story, and you hear all of them with tribute to Lucio Fulci featuring clips from The Beyond and also from Cannibal Holocaust, a wet dream for death metal fans and gorehounds!
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Karim Hussain
Why FiC recommends?
1) Breath-taking from start to finish, creators Karim Hussain and Mitch Davis Arthouse Horror anthology ‘Subconscious Cruelty’ is an experience which, of course, will not be supported by many people, but which, and that was the goal, turns out to be honest, generous and of extreme quality.
2) Subconscious Cruelty” stomps its boot on the throat of representability, pushing the envelope of the New Extremism further than almost any other film, and opening a whole new can of worms when it comes to the uses and abuses of extreme content.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Sogo Ishii
Setting: Suburban/Small-town
Why FiC recommends?
1) The Labyrinth of Dreams is a very unusual film and a new phase in Sogo Ishii’s work, Inspired by a short story by Yumen Kyusaku , the experimental psychological-romantic/mystery as the title suggests, lulls you into a state similar to a paralyzing dream.
2) Deeply poignant film, depressing but beautiful!
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir by: Ryuichi Hiroki
Setting: Suburban/Small-town
Why FiC recommends?
1) It’s a low-key character study, shot on digital video for almost no money, and brings the viewer very close to the experience of Miyuki (Mami Nakamura), which increases sympathy for this character.
2) The film is part of “Love Cinema” series along with along with Takashi Miike’s “Visitor Q” among others, and all the films are shot on DV.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Errol Morris
Why FiC recommends?
1) Documentary/Indie film on a pet cemetery may not sound appealing but Gates Of Heaven offers insight into the compassion humans feel for deceased animals, explores the meaning of life and death, and portrays fascinating characters throughout.
2) Werner Herzog dared to eat his shoe if the documentary was released in theaters. Later a short film was made of Herzog dining on his footwear titled “Werner Herzog Eats His Shoes”
FiC Rating: 4.5/5
Dir: Muscha
Why FiC recommends?
Muscha’s Decoder is sort of Zeitgeist of the Berlin 1980s counterculture, a criminally under-seen masterpiece of German weirdness, before the Internet and cyber warfare shot
2) It should be considered required watching for anyone who love Shinya Tsukamoto’s classic cyberpunks, Sogo Ishii’s Electric Dragon 80.000 V and films such as They Live, Vortex (1982) and Liquid Sky. The film is battered in 80s industrial/electronica culture by intense soundtrack from the likes of Einsturzende Neubauten, Soft Cell, The The, and Psychic Tv.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Juan Padrón
Why FiC recommends?
1) Juan Padrón who passed away during the coronavirus pandemic, was more than a master, he was a pioneer in the field of animation in Latin America. Now that you are all on a streaming binge, you should seek out his work.
2) Fans of Ralp Bakshi, Michael Schaak (Felidae), Rene Laloux and 70’s euro horror will be entertained and amused as the plot is so fresh.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Alessandro Rak
Why FiC recommends?
1) A visionary animated film of deep play that is stylistically innovative and spiritually/philosophically rich in content.
2) The dream state of the movie allows for the animation to take on a fresh approach to convey the ideas.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Royston Tan
Setting: Urban
Why FiC recommends?
1) This is essential for those art films lovers and for the fans of Royston Tan it’s a much-watch.
2) 4:30 is an unexpectedly calm dreamlike film for its aesthetic that details the unlikely friendship / relationship between Zhang Xiao Wu, an eleven year old Chinese Boy, and his tenant Jung, a thirty-something Korean man.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Geetu Mohandas
Why FiC recommends?
Moothon (The Elder One) serves its social purpose in the Indian society and beyond like no other. 10 minutes into this movie you start worrying about the little kid in the film, and two hours later you realize it hasn’t let up one bit in intensity.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Kirill Serebrennikov
Why FiC recommends?
1) It is beautifully shot and is a perfect ode to youth and rock in Soviet Russia.
2) There are filmmakers who have contributed to this genre, but Serebrennikov may be the only one to have succeeded in this initiative of linking music to political protest.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Michael Almereyda
Why FiC recommends?
1) Produced by David Lynch
2) Think Guy Maddin, Jim Jarmusch, and Hal Hartley meets David Lynch- deadpan noir-ish ode to Vampire films shot in PixelVision with possible Lynchiest cameo ever as a Morgue Attendant. It also features songs from My Bloody Valentine, Portishead, The Verve on the soundtrack.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Peter Mettler
Why FiC recommends?
1) A three-hour experimental documentary trip around the world in search of transcendence in all its facets.It’s portrayed in such a way i don’t feel like I’m being sold anything or the story being too self-indulgent.
2) For the fans of Chris Marker, Herz Frank, Kenneth Anger, Frans Zwartjes, and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi you will not be disappointed.
FiC Rating: 4/5
Dir: Amir Naderi
Why FiC recommends?
1) The most important film, sadly overlooked film that put Iranian Cinema in the spotlight after Dariush Mehrjui films.
2) Even its ending is very expressive. There is something inspiring about that ending and it makes me wanna do the same thing.
FiC Rating: 3.5/5
Dir: Mikhail Red
Why FiC recommends?
1) Birdshot, a coming of age story centered on a young farm girl named Maya (Mary Joy Apostol) who inadvertently shoots an endangered Eagle (Haribon) setting off a police investigation.
2) The story that has depth and beauty, juxtaposed by self effacing, unapologetic, honesty. A reflection, in many ways, of the stark Filipina outback, in which it is set.
FiC Rating: 4.5/5
Dir: Robert Lepage
Why FiC recommends?
1) This one’s an example of ingenious film-making that inscribe brains over spectacle with some captivating and strong performances.
2) A must see for the artistic value to this unique Sci-fi that uses the visual narrative and some mind-bending cinematography.
